Jewelry clip with friction pivot



May 15, 1956 J. JARON 2,745,264

JEWELRY CLIP WITH FRICTION PIVOT Filed May 51, 1955 F/ 5 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,745,264 JEWELRY CLIP WITH FRICTION PIVOT Julian Jaron, Providence, R. L, assignor to Alice Jewelry Company, a corporation of Rhode Island Application May 31, 1955, Serial No. 512,052

4 Claims. (Cl. 63-14) This invention relates generally to jewelry clips and has particular reference to a novel and improved pressure clip for earrings or the like.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of a jewelry clip having no springs, ratchets or screw locking adjustments, and which accordingly will not be subject to wear to the degree that exists where the above mentioned parts are employed.

A further object is the provision of an earring clip which is easily adjustable to the thickness of the lobe in order to provide maximum comfort for the wearer.

Another object is the provision of an earring clip which will maintain a secure hold on the wearers ear, but which at the same time will not pinch or cause discomfort.

Still another object is the provision of a jewelry clip having a minimum number of moving parts and which accordingly is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. l is a rear perspective view showing the earring clip in operative or clamping position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view thereof with the clamping arm in open position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the clamping arm per se;

Fig. 4 is a rear view thereof;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of

the supporting bracket member; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the supporting bracket blank.

The advantages of making jewelry clips, and more particularly, earring clips, of the pressure-type variety have long been known. In a pressure-type clip, there is no spring-snap action, nor is there any type of screw or ratchet adjustment. Rather, the clamping arm is maintained in any desired position by friction pressure exerted thereon. Heretofore, this pressure has usually taken the form of a wiping contact of some sort bearing against the clamping arm as it pivots. Since, however, this wiping contact most often is spring actuated, the problem of wear is still a critical one, since continued use invariably results in a diminishing of pressure. Accordingly, applicant has provided a novel and improved pressure clip wherein the pressure is neither created by a spring nor by the rivet at the pivot of the clamping arm.

Referring to the drawings, an earring clip, generally designated at 10, is shown as comprising an ornamental face member or plate 12, to the rear of which is soldered, brazed, welded or otherwise attached the base 14 of a substantially U-shaped bracket, shown generally at 16, note Fig. 5. Bracket 16 comprises rearwardly converging 2,745,264 Patented May 15, 1956 legs 18 which terminate in a pair of substantially circular ears 20. The ears 20 are disposed in parallel relation to each other, and each car has formed therein, as by blanking or the like, an aperture 22. As will be most obvious from Fig. 6, the apertures 22 are eccentrically positioned with respect to the cars 20, for reasons hereinafter to be made apparent. It will be understood that said apertures 22 are in alignment with each other whereby they are adapted to receive a rivet 24 for pivotally mounting a clamping arm, shown generally at 26, in a manner now to be described.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be noted that clamping arm 26 comprises a generally dished plate portion 28 which may have transversely extending grooves 30 formed thereacross for purposes of acquiring a more secure grip on the ear lobe when the arm 26 is in clamping position. As will be apparent, plate portion 28 is of generally converging configuration and at its convergent end terminates in twist portion 32 and eye 34. Adjacent to twist portion 32 there is provided a pair of oppositely disposed and outwardly extending shoulders 36.

In assembly and use, the eye 34 of clamping arm 26 is inserted between the ears 20 of bracket 16 and is pivotally mounted therebetween by means of rivet 24. It will be understood that clamping arm 26 is now mounted for pivotal movement with respect to the face member or plate 12. Due, however, to the eccentric mounting of eye 34 with respect to the ears 20, as aforedescribed, when the clamping arm 26 is rotated in a clockwise direction from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 1, shoulders 36 will ride into engagement with the high portions 38 of the car 20, thereby creating a binding action which, as will be apparent, puts the arm 26 under pressure when it approaches clamping position. It will be understood that the amount of eccentricity necessary in the cars 20 is predetermined in order to put arm 26 under the desired amount of pressure when said arm approaches clamping position. It will be further understood that instead of the eccentric mounting, as described, the same effect could be obtained by providing the edges of the cars 20 with an irregular or cam-like contour. The eccentric arrangement is preferred, however, since it is simpler and less expensive to manufacture.

Thus it will be seen that there is provided in accordance with this invention novel and improved structure whereby the clamping arm of a jewelry clip is subjected to pressure which will maintain it in any desired state of adjustment. This structure completely eliminates the use of springs of any sort and also the use of rivets per se as a means for creating the aforedescribed pressure. Accordingly, the disadvantages inherent with these structures are also eliminated. The instant structural arrangement, although simple and inexpensive to manufacture in large quantities, nevertheless lends itself to the formation of a clip which is both efiicient and relatively durable even after extended use.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A jewelry clip comprising a face plate, a bracket secured to the back thereof and having a pair of rearwardly extending legs terminating in circular ear members, a clamping arm hinged at one end between said ear members and twisted at right angles beyond but adjacent to said ear members to provide oppositely disposed, outwardly extending shoulders in overlying relation with respect to the edges of the ear members, the axis of the pivot of said clamping arm being located in spaced relation with respect to the axis of the circular ear members whereby said ear members are eccentrically disposed with respect to said axis of pivot, said outwardly extending shoulders being adapted to make engagement with the high edge portions of the eccentric ear members when the clamping arm is pivoted to clamping position whereby to maintain said arm in any desired position of clamping adjustment.

'2. A jewelry clip comprising a face plate, a rearwardly extending bracket secured to said plate and terminating in an ear portion having an arcuate, edge contour, and a clamping arm pivotally carried by said bracket for movement to and from clamping position with respect to said face plate, said, clamping arm having a shoulder portion which overlies the arcuate edge of said ear portion, points adjacent said shoulder on said arcuate edge being progressively further away from the axis of pivot of said clamping arm as the latter moves toward clamping position, said shoulder portion being, spaced from said pivot axis somewhat less than the greatest distance between said pivot axis and said arcuate edge, whereby said shoulder portion moves into an increasing frictional engagement with said arcuate edge as the clamping arm' is pivoted to clamping position thus maintaining the latter in any desired position of adjustment.

3. The jewelry clip of claim 2 further characterized in that said ear portion is circular and said pivot axis is eccentrically disposed with respect thereto.

4 a 4. A jewelry clip comprising a face plate, a bracket secured to the back thereof and having a pair of rearwardly extending legs terminating in ear portions having I outwardly extending shoulders in overlying relation with respect to the'arcuate edges of the ear portions, points adjacent said shoulder on said arcuate edges each being progressively furtheraway from the axis of pivot of said clamping arm as the latter moves toward clamping position, said shoulder portions being spaced from said pivot axis somewhat less than the greatest distance between said pivot axis and said arcuate edges, whereby said shoulder portions move into an increasing frictional engagement with said arcuate edges as the clamping arm is pivoted to clamping position thus maintaining the latter in any desired position of adjustment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Chernow V Dec.. 3 0, 

